Category Issue 78

Point 78: President’s Corner – Jef Saunders

1 Comment read Issue 78, President's Corner

As you may know, I currently serve as both President and Membership Liaison. I feel that this is a very exciting time to be involved in all aspects of APP Membership; there are more tools at our disposal than ever before.

Technological advances have made shooting videos and photographing documents easier than ever. In years past, a new applicant would have to shoot a VHS or DVD, along with photocopies of all of their compliance documentation. They would then ship it in the mail to our office, where it was forwarded to a person on our Membership Committee, who would review it. Then it would be shipped to a second person on our Membership Committee for review.

If an applicant made a small mistake, it could take months of letters and phone calls to make an important change and appropriately document it. Now, we can instantly respond with requests for missing documents or quick fixes of minor mistakes in an applicant’s piercing studio. This means far fewer declination letters have to be sent over minimal errors. The Membership Committee sees these mistakes and then gets to engage in one-on-one health and safety education that makes a real difference in our community. The current Membership Committee (Cody Vaughn, Monica Sabin, Coyote Black, Johnny Velez, Aaron Pollack, Darrin Walters and now Sean Phillips) have my thanks for the extreme amount of applications and renewals they have processed during my term as Membership Liaison.

It is impossible to fully understand the impact of internet forums, such as the Body Modification Learning Forum and the APP Non-Member Forum, in popularizing the use of safe jewelry and up-to-date health and safety practices. There was a time when jewelry compliance issues were the chief hurdle for most piercers in joining the APP. With these forums, safe piercing jewelry has become more and more the norm in shops all over the world. This welcome exchange of ideas has illuminated the path to APP membership, but more importantly safer piercing practices worldwide.

The entire APP benefits from the assistance so many of our Members have given to prospective applicants. The volunteers within the APP work so hard to make the organization effective, and they have my sincere gratitude. I also want to say thank you to those of you within our organization and within our community that supply piercers with so much health and safety information and education. The growth our organization has experienced wouldn’t have happened without you.

To maintain this growth and continue to fulfill our mission of health and safety education, the APP is taking steps to streamline the membership application process. We are doing this by developing a digital application which we are hoping to unveil very soon. This digital application should result in fewer missing documents, as well as making each step easier for applicants to understand and committee members and the office staff to process. It is my hope that this simpler, digital application will allow the APP to continue growing the way it has over the past five years.

In addition to a digital application, the APP is in the process of automating certain aspects of membership compliance and recordkeeping. Soon, internal documents will be uploaded directly to Member records, and Members will be granted access to upload external documentation (like First Aid and CPR). These records will be available to the Membership Committee and APP staff for review. This is an ongoing project in the beta phase, but I have very high hopes that it will be a huge success in making membership accessible to more and more piercers, while also making maintaining membership even simpler.

Stay tuned over the next months as we hope to see these great projects revealed to the membership.

Point 78: Letter from the Editor – Kendra Jane B.

1 Comment read From the Editor, Issue 78

When you hear the word “sustainability,”  your first thoughts might be of recycling soda cans or composting your vegetable scraps. However, the idea of sustainability is one that can be applied in a much broader sense to every aspect of life. Things such as maintaining a sustainable work life balance; which in our industry seems very difficult for many. Creating a healthy balance of piercing and non-piercing related activities is something I struggle with myself almost daily. However, I believe it is important to realize that we all need downtime and we all need to foster the passions we have in life outside of our piercing room. In the long run it makes us better piercers.

We can embrace the idea of sustainability in our piercing room by ensuring an ergonomic work environment to take as much stress off of our bodies as possible. We see many very industry specific issues that seem to arise due to the repetitive nature of our tasks. Making sure that you take care of your body will go a long way to ensuring a long and happy career.

We also need to build sustainable businesses by creating business plans and practices which ensure constant and continual growth at a calculated pace. Unchecked growth in a business is neither realistic nor sustainable, and therefore should be avoided.

We can also strive to lessen our overall carbon footprint within our shops. By making small changes in our environment and routines, we can lessen our impact on the planet. It can be as easy as not printing unnecessary receipts, switching to LED lightbulbs, or installing a lower flow toilet.

This issue will explore the idea of sustainability in its many forms and how it can impact our careers and the body modification industry in more ways than you may have thought possible. We would love to hear how you have made changes for a more sustainable career! Email us at editor@safepiercing.org

Point 78: Letter from the Editor – Marina Pecorino

1 Comment read From the Editor, Issue 78

Sustainability touches many aspects of our daily personal and professional lives. In this issue, Kendra Jane provides tips for reducing our carbon footprint through structural improvements and office upgrades. Also, Jared Karnes of Onetribe discusses sustainability and his discovery of permaculture from a manufacturing perspective. Christina Shull shares some wisdom about how to establish a solid business and personal budget, with a focus on financial planning and retirement.

For the safety of our clients and ourselves, it is an unfortunate consequence that our industry is a heavy producer of waste. I’ve often been morbidly curious to know how much weight in garbage an average piercing room generates in a day, but that newfound knowledge would more than likely make me sad.

As we look toward the future of our profession and our planet, I think it’s important to bring sustainability to the forefront of our minds. Some studios are taking on this challenge by reducing the use of supplies and tools, and thus reducing the need for additional processing and disposable products. For some piercers, this is a perfect solution, but for others, this may not be a change they’re prepared to undertake.

There’s also the unfortunate truth that our work takes an emotional and physical toll on us, making burnout a very real possibility. Long hours on our feet and standing in strange positions can lead to muscle fatigue and joint pain for many. Hectic days when breaks are scarce and meals may be a fantasy can leave us without the resources our body needs to maintain our pace. Add to that the emotional strain of taking on an especially challenging client, and you’ll be ready for bed as soon as you get home. Even some of my most enjoyable and meaningful client experiences have left me feeling drained. If we intend to sustain this profession, it’s important to remember our self-care regimen; as the Volunteer ducklings say, “What Would Paul King Do?”

 

The Point – Issue 78

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The Point: Issue 78 - Cover

 

Table of ContentsAlicia Cardenas at the 2016 APP Conference & Exposition

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